Comments on: “Remember Those Shirts?” 60 Minute Workout & Spinning Mix

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:02:10 +0000

This workout should be listed under the tag “cruel and unusual punishment”!! I love it!! I’m not an instructor, just someone who can never seem to make it to class on time, so I do your workouts on my own…this was the first one I tried, and man…I read through the whole thing, but it simply did NOT prepare me for the beating! :-) Great songs though…all very well paired with their exercises. Keep it up!

By: Julia

Julia — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:25:40 +0000

JR- A big thank you. I am a full time teacher, new mom, and part time spin instructor (only 1 or 2 classes a week). Your mixes and workouts have saved me a numerous occasions when I cannot generate the time and/or energy to create a new playlist. My classes love them, even the little old ladies. THANK YOU!!

By: J.R. Atwood

J.R. Atwood — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:01:45 +0000

Spin Diva,

You have a fantastic blog/website at http://familyinshape.typepad.com. Very clean aesthetic and great info!

As for speed bumps… Yes, there is a bit of controversy in the spinning instructor world about them — and especially vocal about their dislike of speed bumps are regular roadies who come to spin to maintain their aerobic fitness during the winter months.

I get it. The first time I went indoors to ride and an instructor had us do bumps, I thought it was ridiculous, in part because it is a routine that I would never do on the road!

But… Spinning indoors is not entirely like riding a bike outside — and this is okay!

IF speed bumps are done right — stepping-up with the legs, isolating the quads on the way back down — it can be the most difficult and awesome set of a spin workout. I think the problem is people do not how to do them properly and instructors rarely communicate or model the proper speed bump form.

Too many riders push off of their handlebars to stand up and keep a white-knuckle grip on the bars when they sit back down. Not good! This should not be an upper-body workout! If the triceps or forearms get the slightest bit sore during these sets, you are not doing them properly.

I’ve found that when I tell the class, “This is the best way to strengthen and tone the quads in five minutes on the bike” and explain how to do them properly, then any doubts about the utility of speed bumps are erased. If someone is still on the fence, I tell them to try it for a minute — if after 60 seconds, they want to go back to the flats and ride on their own, no problem! We’ll meet-up at the end of the song. :)

Hope this helps. Let me know any other questions you may have. Thanks for the kind words, too, about this lil’ blog.

Happy spinning,
J. R.

By: spindiva

spindiva — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:12:00 +0000

Hello,
I love your mixes here and thanks for the FAQ as well, very helpful. I have been teaching for about 5 years now and I love it..would do it three days a week, but for now days a week is all I have on my schedule.

The Speed bumps I used to do a lot then I heard that we were not supposed to do those for some reason- what is your take on that. I love speed bumps, particularly when you take it down to 4 and two- some of my students wont go past a count of 8 which is really not a speed bump.

I will sign up to get your updates regularly. Again, Thanks for sharing— Spinning out of control!!

By: Catherine Kurvink

Catherine Kurvink — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:02:34 +0000

Thanks for including Hellogoodbye’s “Here In Your Arms” to your workout playlist. It’s a good one!